24 September 2008

So the Treasury has a trillion dollars that's burning a hole in its pocket. Hank Paulson wants to give it all to his golfing buddies, no strings attached.

A trillion bucks, huh? That's a whole lotta scratch.

Keeping the financial markets stable is a nice idea. I'm no economist, but as someone who is vested in the markets and who would like to retire someday, I can see the value in that. I'm just not sure that it's the best way to spend that cash, ot that it's even really necessary. I thought the beauty of free markets was how resiliant they are supposed to be, right?

It's a funny statement on the political discourse in this country that if anyone proposed taking a trillion dollars and doing anything other than giving it to really rich people (or spending it on an awesome war), they would be ridiculed as non-serious people. But there are a lot of other priorities that might be better served by that sort of expenditure. For example, if we chose to dedicate that trillion dollars not towards the health of our markets, but towards the health of the American people, we could:

1 comment:

It's a funny statement on the political discourse in this country that if anyone proposed taking a trillion dollars and doing anything other than giving it to really rich people (or spending it on an awesome war), they would be ridiculed as non-serious people.

Shadowfax

About me: I am an ER physician and administrator living in the Pacific Northwest. I live with my wife and four kids. Various other interests include Shorin-ryu karate, general aviation, Irish music, Apple computers, and progressive politics. My kids do their best to ensure that I have little time to pursue these hobbies.

Disclaimer

This blog is for general discussion, education, entertainment and amusement. Nothing written here constitutes medical advice nor are any hypothetical cases discussed intended to be construed as medical advice. Please do not contact me with specific medical questions or concerns. All clinical cases on this blog are presented for educational or general interest purposes and every attempt has been made to ensure that patient confidentiality and HIPAA are respected. All cases are fictionalized, either in part or in whole, depending on how much I needed to embellish to make it a good story to protect patient privacy.

All Content is Copyright of the author, and reproduction is prohibited without permission.